Star Wars: Episode X - Child of the Force
by CXS6612
Summary: Set 26 years after the decisive battle of Exegol, a new galactic government known as the Grand Republic has been formed and has brought relative peace to the galaxy in the absence of both the Jedi and Sith. After the Force Wars, force-sensitive individuals lost their connection to the force, and it would seem it has all but disappeared from the galaxy. That was until now...
1. Prologue

STAR WARS

EPISODE X

Child of the Force

Long ago, in a galaxy far, far away…

It has been 26 years since the decisive battle of Exegol brought peace the galaxy. With both the Sith and Jedi believed to have perished in the great conflict, balance had finally been restored to the force. After the conclusion of what came to be known as the Force Wars, the Grand Republic was formed on the premises of peace, prosperity and independence for those that remained in the galaxy. Built from the remnants of a shattered First Order and broken New Republic, this new government was able to prosper and spread democracy in a world where knowledge of the force and its teachings have been lost to the past.

Under the premise of diplomacy, the militant forces of the Grand Republic rely heavily on interplanetary militias to maintain peace upon the galaxy in all efforts of trade and commerce. While the skies have remained relatively peaceful, a recent series of attacks on federalist ships have left dozens to perish at the hands of what is believed to be a mysterious criminal organization working against the republic. While no one knows whom or what this organization is, whispers of the name "SKYWALKER" have begun to spread throughout the galaxy…


	2. Invading a Grand Republic Ship

**Chapter I - Invading a Grand Republic Ship**

"Intruder alert! Intruder alert!"

A robotic female voice chanted through the intercoms of the pearly white hallways that made up the endangered space shuttle. Red hazard lights blinked on an off, illuminating an otherwise dark, hollowed long stretch of corridor. These flickers of red light reveal a platoon of Grand Republic soldiers taking position into the crevices of the entries ways that align throughout this large tunnel.

"Initiating Security Protocol A7Z9! Sectors I-B and I-C are now being secured! Antilock Security system engaged!"

As the security protocol begins, a lone, black-hooded figure can be seen turning the corner in the distance, a solid red light illuminating his position.

"Capitan La'Hos! I see the intruder! Should we engage?"

It was a fearful Grand Republic soldier that had inquired this, his voice echoing from a diagonal crevice where the wavy-haired, darker-skinned female General was located. She was hesitant, but ultimately nodded in agreement; a look of both courageousness and perplexity filled the accents of her facial features.

"Attack!"

Flashes of red and green lasers illuminated the hallway. It was only then that the large tunneled corridor began to close in divided sectionals, each section containing a large volt door that assumed a different pattern of defense. The intruder, who, for a brief moment, was seen dodging and avoiding the laser attacks with precision accuracy, continued to walk forward. The lasers came to a halt as the last of the protected vault doors came to its complete close. A sigh of relief filled the young General's face.

"Soldiers! We will contain the prisoner until we can make an emergency landing on..."

Interrupting, a beam of red light accompanied by some smoke and thick ash blasted from the nearest vault door, the red laser carving the shape of an ident large enough for a person to fit through. Instinctually, the General began to fall back, her eyes facing toward the door, leaving her blaster pointed at its now-ravished view.

"We need to create a barracks of soldiers between here and the cargo bay! That is our mission! Arnold, Smidge, take your boys and set up a blockade in Sector I-E and I-F! I'll fall back and ensure the entrance to our cargo is secure! The intruder is ascending with extreme prejudice, shoot on site!"

The General takes a sigh as she looks down at her com for just a brief moment.

"What could this guy possibly want from our cargo? We don't have anything of real value on board, I don't understand- "

A large explosion interrupted her self-inquiry, a thick sheet of metal from the vault doors casted itself forward.

"Go! Go! Go!"

A platoon of troops began to head toward the compromised door, shooting their blasters.

"Pathetic! If this is the might of the Grand Republic, I don't imagine that democracy is longed for this world."

The voice of the black-cloaked intruder was muffled through his helmet audio com, his silver mask, mostly hidden by the hood of his cloak, gleamed from the solid red light of his lightsaber. He clenched his leather gloves onto the familiar sword, gripping onto the device as he made strokes across the air, deflecting the lasers being sent in his direction.

"I've only come for one thing. I have no desire to kill, but, if that is your will."

The masked knight twists in a full circle as a multiple laser beams shot toward him are immediately redirected with the stroke of his sword, pinpointing toward the nearest group of soldiers, and killing them upon impact.

"I will gladly oblige!"

General La'Hos continued to make her way down an off-shoot corridor with a group of young soldiers, the team coming to a complete halt at the sight of the federal ship's escape pods.

"General-eh-Captain, you cannot go with us to the cargo bay!"

A younger female solider argued, concern and fear filled her voice as she pulled the shoulder of the General from behind and gestured.

"You're one of the greatest heroes this Republic has seen. It's been an honor to serve you."

The woman took off a necklace dawning a symbol that resembled the Resistance insignia from the Force Wars and handed it to the General, placing it in her hand. The entryways of the escape hatches filled the background of the scene.

"Banchi, I'd never abandon my ship. You know that- "

"General, you've heard the stories of those missing vessels all over the galaxy. Those attacked do not survive. If the Grand Republic is under attack, we'll need you to serve!"

The woman soldier let out a short sigh and grinned as she motions to open the nearest hatch with just the push of a button.

"I know you why you took this mission, even despite your rank. But you owe 'us' nothing."

Banchi closed La'Hos' fingers over the corld, silver trinket.

"This is your calling! To fight. Take this necklace, and, live to fight another day..."

As the two women shared a brief embrace, a glowing red light from the shadow figures' lightsaber illuminated the seen behind the female soldier. It was only when General Anina La'Hos looked up that she noticed this figure standing erect behind the young soldier.

"Look out!"

The General screamed in horror, the red lightsaber piercing through her comrade, the soldier's eyes changing from a bright sky blue to a lifeless grey. The General did all she could to hold back her tears. She backed away, adverting into the escape hatch the soldier had just opened for her.

The man in black pulls his saber out of the lifeless corpse in front of him and stares calmly at the escape hatch entryway as the body of the General's friend falls to the ground. He contemplates chasing the General, but as the doors close, and the pod begins to dive away from the spaceship, he was riddled with the knowledge that his mission was of more importance.

The General, unable to keep her composure, leaned back on the walls of the escape pod and screamed in a silent agony as it whirled its way down toward the atmosphere of the nearest planet.

The black figure could do nothing at this point but watch as the first victim to ever escape his grasp plunged to the depths below.


	3. The Cloaked Massacre

**Chapter II: The Cloaked Massacre**

It didn't take long for the black-hooded intruder to dispose of the rest of the federalist ship's crew. While the Grand Republic was technologically advanced, their ships weren't particularly well equipped for war, especially on a standard freight vessel full of cargo the mighty republic deemed otherwise deposable. This made the job of the force-sensitive much easier.

The masked assassin payed little mind as he ripped through the bodies of the Grand Republic soldiers with his lightsaber. Some would say his ruthlessness could only be matched by that of the evil Lord Vader himself, but this force-user would never make such comparisons. As he strode through each new sector of the ship, more and more soldiers would attempt to create makeshift defense systems with what little they could find, but his powers proved to be too much for even the most strategically minded combatants in his company.

It wasn't that Kin Cello was devoid of a conscience, but rather that he lacked the understanding and development one would need to associate death with tragedy. In the cold castles of his home world of Iscle, life was taught to exist only outside of the confines of necessity. Therefore, if a life had to be taken for that of the righteous path, it was both one's duty and honor to become executioner.

In truth, when Cello first left the confines of his home world just a few short months ago, he found it much more difficult to take a life. He didn't understand why his victims' cries for help would echo so vividly in his mind, or the why when their faces would shift from inconsolable horror to a lifelessness shadow, they would remain etched in his mind so clearly that he could recount their specific facial features for days afterward. But as time went on, death came much easier to him. Instead of struggling with these conflicting thoughts, he began embrace their death, engulf himself in it.

As soon as Cello had made his way to the entryway of the cargo bay, he began to take a long panoramic look throughout the large storage area. Crates upon crates of Grand Republic property remained mostly untouched despite the protest of multiple platoons who would have rather died than allow Cello into the area. As of course, they did.

A thorough scan of the room via Cello's helmet's thermal imagining hardware, quickly revealed there was nothing of distinct value to the republic located on the ship. Though, it wasn't uncommon for the Grand Republic to keep its property safely guarded with soldiers. While the Grand Republic has no activated galactic army, federal intergalactic law required most children; save for those of the highly educated or elite; serve in the galactic military for at least two standard years between the ages of 16 and 22, meaning that their military was in no shortage of manpower. Often times children who came from poorer backgrounds or from the outer worlds would take the opportunity to remain enlisted for longer stretches of time, as the opportunity to serve their government would provide them with compensation and opportunities they otherwise wouldn't have.

The average scavenger could also make a small fortune off of the merchandise located in these freight ships, regardless of their value to the larger government as a whole. Most of the ships this far out contained memorabilia from one of the former Republics, or even that of the former Empire, if you were lucky. It was why Cello was having such a hard time locating the item he had been searching for these past few months.

"There's nothing here, High Priestess. I'm not sensing anything connected to the force, and my scanners are not detecting any midichlorians or heat signatures. Should I abort the mission?"

A piercingly cold female voice made haste to respond to the dark force user. "You may abort. It is clear to me that you have once again failed to find the Gyjin."

The Gyjin was a powerful Sith artifact that had the ability to ground one's spirit within this plain of existence, or so they say. A strong force user could theoretically use it the keep themselves in our universe long after their demise, making it impossible for them to cross over to the other side of the force, at least as long as the pendant remained intact. In theory, this artifact would essentially allow one who was strong with the force to ultimately cheat death. It's said that when a host body perishes, the consciousness of the individual who had bonded themselves with this artifact would revert back to the pendant, where the user could then transfer their consciousness to the next viable vessel.

"I'm sorry I have failed you, my Master." The soldier replies humbly.

"There is no time for apologies." The woman snapped. "In order to carry out our Divide Order, we must obtain that pendant at all costs. I will leave no expense unpaid, and no stone unturned, until we have it in our possession. The Force did not feed you the seeds of life for have you to fail at the most basic of tasks. And, I did not teach you in the ways of the Force so that you may repay with ineptitude. You will find me the Gyjin now!"

Cello could sense the wrath and vain of his Master through the intercom as if she were beside him. The High Priestess was a powerful being; an ancient being, at that. Though nobody in the Colony knew her exact age, the High Priestess had witnessed the rise and fall of many empires and republics through the generations since her inception, and she had the knowledge, scars and artifacts to prove it.

It was for this reason that Cello was so confused as to why one of his first missions in the Outer Galaxy was to track down an old artifact that had been lost for generations, despite its immense power and vitality. The High Priestess had to know that such an artifact was too small and obscure to be properly sensed through the Force in the vast regions of outer space, and that the dark alchemy etched within it would likely make it impossible to be scanned properly for any heat signatures it may have otherwise relayed due to its strong presence with the force; at least; without being within walking distance of it and having the proper equipment, as well as the knowledge of what you're looking for. It was like playing a game of chance, and Cello was not one to gamble, nor one to have patience. He only knew to target passive cargo freight ships heading to the Outer Rim from the capitol city of Coruscant because of his master's directive.

"It appears my time here has expired. The security footage and all other evidence of my deeds will die with this vessel. I will be in touch soon." Nodding, Cello found his footing and snapped his fingers violently into the air. Without notice, the vessel he had just breached was now nothing more than ash and flame, engulfed in a fiery explosion that would take the bodies of its crew and any evidence of Cello's existence with it. It was in this very moment, that he remembered the girl…


	4. The Twin Suns Darken

Chapter III - The Twin Suns Darken

"Hello! Is anyone alive down there?" … "Hello!?"

A younger-sounding man called out; echoes of his voice floating through the area that surrounded Anina's current position. Blackness was all that she could see as she came to, confused and, with an inability to view her surroundings. She had awoken to the sudden calls of this young man, who sounded likely not much different in age than her.

"I'm going down there!" The boy proclaims, the sound of sand crunching under the weight of his feet, following his every movement as he made his way closer to the infinite blackness that now held Anina captive.

"What…are you mad?! There could be a monster down there, or even worse, a space pirate!"

This time the voice was that of a woman. She sounded far more reserved and maddening than the young male did, though similar in age. Admittingly, neither really sounded like much of a threat. With that in mind, Anina still knew better than to judge one by the sound of their voice. As she began to become more cognitive, she navigated her hand to the left of her holster, reaching for both the release button on the emergency seatbelt she was strapped to, and her blaster, which, painstakingly, happened to be missing from its rightful spot on her belt. As the woman's vision began to refocus, she looked around the mostly dark pod, illuminated only by the light of a sun or some other form of organic light. The pod itself seemed to have survived the ejection into space, and even the landing, mostly unscathed, though the inside was a bit torn up and the front door seemed to have been crunched open upon on impact, blocking the view out of the window and releasing large amounts of sand into the dark area. Anina was another story. Truthfully, the commander had barely had time to process what had happened to her, she was barely able to make a conscious thought. Her head was pounding and, after feeling around the side of her face, she realized blood had dripped down and dried onto the side of it from a wound on the left side of her head.

"Damnit!" She whined to herself as she mustered up enough strength to finally hit that eject button and allow herself to fall freely onto the floor. Where was she? Where was all of this sand coming from? It was clear that she on a desert planet of some kind, that much she knew. She couldn't guess which one, given how many worlds like this her freight ship would have passed during its voyage to the Outer Rim, but at least it was something. Just by the sand alone, she was able to smize that she wasn't by a beach, largely due to the lack of moisture in the sand and the intensely dry climate surrounding her. The pod's system was completely compromised, the artificial air filtration system was shot, and pockets of sand had already filled half of the pod. How long had she been here?

"I know there's someone in there!" The male proclaimed in a stern but concerning voice. He was clearly not used to visitors, particularly those crash landing from space.

"I sense your confusion. I'm not going to hurt you." He added, still admittedly stern, though quite clearly lacking any real ability to be hostile.

Anina drug herself up from the floor with her bare hands, her left leg was injured and she wasn't sure how to leave the pod, but she did get up. The woman looked around and noticed her baster was etched half-way in the sand just a few feet away from her. She took a deep breath and painstakingly leaned toward its location, not having the energy to fully pick up her body and move.

"I'm armed! Don't try anything!" Anina finally yells back, clinging to her blaster as she lifts the top half of her body forward. She was out of breath.

"See, I told you there were space pirates! You're always getting us into trouble with those damn space pirates!" The tense-sounding female proclaimed as the sound of creaking metal echoed through the cabin of the escape pod.

"Hang on in there, I just have to-" The mysteries male interjected as he seemed to lift the broken door by himself, a feat far too difficult for Anina to worry about at this point. "There!"

A sudden stroke of light burst through the jammed doorway, the male had actually figured out how to create a small crease between the pod and the door, just big enough for someone her size to crawl through. How could he possibly know that she would fit?

"I said back away!" Anina threatens again, mustering up enough strength to point the blaster in her hand directly at the new hole.

"I mean you no harm, I could tell you were hurt-" Before the male could even finish his sentence, a laser blast shot out of the newly formed hole, causing him to jump back, away from the craves, and grab onto his own blaster, though, still refusing to pull on it just yet. Suddenly, a young, dark-skin female human came rolling out of the entry point, Anina had made quick haste and was now standing before the unidentified male in full force, blaster pointed in his direction.

"On behalf of the Grand Republic, you are to stand down and drop your weapons, immediately!" The captain insists, making quick work to show off her official Grand Republic holographic in her free hand, identifying herself with its 3D imagery as Anina La'Hos, Grand Republic Naval Captain and Chief Operating Commander of the 472. 27 years old. "Identify yourself!"

The male that stood before her couldn't have been older than 25, and sure didn't have the appearance of a drifter or petty criminal. He was clean shaven and had quite a youthful look to him. Individuals with soft features typically aren't ones to have seen a lot of combat or crime in their lives. Anina understood that by the way her father described the Battle of Exegol from his Force Wars days, the violence you endure changes you. No, the male in front of her had sandy brown hair, and a smile only someone who had never seen the filth that exists in the galaxy could carry. He was attractive, seemingly in good shape, and was quite tall. Anina considered herself to be above average for her age and gender, standing at a a whooping 5'5" feet tall. But this male was at least six inches taller than her.

"My name is Lucas Skywalker, ma'am. Me and my sister were just passing through when we noticed your pod was sending smoke up into the air from a distance. When we came to check out the wreckage, I could tell somebody was still inside. I truly mean you no harm, look!" The attractive male inches closer to her, bending over, and, leaving his hand up, as unclips his blaster from his belt as a show of good faith.

"Lucas! What are you doing?" The other female's voice echoed toward them from above the crater they were standing in. She was standing anxiously in the distance, but Anina could tell that she was also fairly tall, maybe a few inches taller than herself. Her hair was also brown, like Lucas', though it was slightly darker and much wavier than his. She also wore her hair down to just below her shoulders, whilst Lucas' hair was still only barely over his ears. They looked alike, though the female had an ironically sharper look to her than the soft, youthful features of the man that stood before her. Both were quite good-looking.

"That's my sister, her name is Lena. Lena Skywalker." He interjects, slicing through to her from within her thoughts. It was strange, the two seemed comfortable with and aware of their current location, but there was nothing in site from what she could see of outside of the creator, and they didn't seem to dress how she would have imagined most natives on a desert planet would. They looked far too clean.

"Okay, Lucas Skywalker. Then tell me, what planet are we on?" The young man nodded but gave her a confused glare in reply. "Why, we're on Tatoonie. Where did you think you were going?"

Anina recalled the world of Tatoonie from her schooling, it was most recently famous for its resorts and vacation spots, having become a major player in the galaxy for the wealthy and those aspiring to become them over the last decade or so. It had become a common place for the fortunates to escape the hustle of the lavishly face-paced lifestyles of the rejuvenated and luxurious Core Worlds. When the Grand Republic permanently legalized gambling through regulated, taxable ventures, the old pod racetrack located here was improved upon and rebuilt. While the outlawing of slavery had more recently made its way onto the world, criminals and those in debt to the wealthy patrons of the numerous bars and clubs now located here on the desert planet would agree to race for the chance at fame and fortune, or at the very least with the hopes of resolving their past debts, dispute the dangers. But this world also had a dark history of being one of the last systems to ratify the Grand Galactic Charter of Rights and Freedoms, as well as for being the former home of the Hutt clan, who's reaches, whilst still prevalent, had largely waned after the death of major clan leader Jabba.

"Oh…I see…" Suddenly the world became fuzzy, and the bright twin suns were becoming darker as the world around Anina started spinning yet again beneath her. "I…" It wasn't long before Anina dropped her weapon and fell straight toward the ground, any ounce of energy she had mustered up to confront Lucas had suddenly been expelled. Lucas was able to catch her just before the impact, but she was now out cold, once again.


	5. The Glistening City

Chapter IV – The Glistening City

Kin Cello panned across the vast city streets of Mos Espa using the scanning capabilities of his mask, searching for the girl he'd recently come in contact with up in space. Cello's mask not only served to conceal his true identity but was also capable of complex scanning and data analysis. The stainless-steel technological marvel was efficient at detecting life forms and other organisms, as well as specified artifacts of value or those with connections to the Force. Because the shadow warrior had previously come in contact with the unnamed girl from the freight ship, the mask was able to easily access records from their last encounter to scan the surrounding area for her location.

The mask was designed on the warrior's home world of Isicle by some of their top scientists, and utilized a lengthy database of information collected over hundreds of thousands of years from the people who lived there, or so he was told. Scanning conducted via the red optical lenses within the mask would typically assess the potential and threat of any given lifeform Cello would lay eyes on. It did this based on physical measurements like weight, height, physical condition, etc., but it was also capable of using data to calculate information like known intelligence, midicholrian count and other known recorded abilities of a particular species. The mask was quite informative; however, Cello would often forgo using it in favor of his own force senses, which were more than quite adept, sans any emotional interruptions in judgement.

The city itself was a marvel to look at, with impressively large, vast shopping centers, living condominiums and modern, sleek cantinas for patrons to enjoy. While not as technically adept as that of the Core Worlds, the fresh water systems that now flowed through the city and its outskirts were not only pleasant to look at, but served as the planet's interconnected water system, allowing inhabitants to consistently remain hydrated and have access to clean, fresh water, despite the harsh conditions of the desert planet they were on, Tatooine. Swarms of potted plants and other beautiful desert greeneries were outfitted along the edges of most streets, and lush, green palm trees were filled throughout the corridors and alleyways of the city. Artificial lanterns were placed along the stone fencing that surrounded the vast walk and water ways that filled the area, and this lit up the beautiful city at night, thus giving the city its modern nickname of the "Glistening City."

"Excuse me, sir? Why are you dressed like that?" A young human female child asked, inquiring from well below his stature whilst tugging on his black ropes. This snapped him out of his concertation and diverted his attention directly to her. "It gets mighty hot out here during the day, you should wear something more weather-appropriate!"

Cello was surprised she had even noticed him. He hadn't said much since he had arrived in this particular cantina, and the only time he had made any social interaction was to order a crystal water from the bar keep and place it on the ledge of the balcony he had been standing in. He had chosen this cantina because his mask had calculated that the balcony here was one of the best locations to get a clear shot of the city.

"And what if I enjoy the heat, little one?" He turns around and asks in a stern, but soft tone. His voice was still clocked by the microphone in his mask and was void of most emotion.

"That's silly!" The little girl replies, a smirk rising from her cheeks, revealing a missing front tooth and excess gums, not unusual for a typical human child of her age. She couldn't see it, but Cello was smirking behind his cloak. "Nobody likes the heat, not even Mustafurians!" The man was fairly sure she was mispronouncing the species, but he let it pass.

"Len'Ca, where are you!?" An older women inquires from over by the bar, her voice drowned out by the clinking of glasses and the numerous conversations occupying the upscale cantina. "Oh, there you are!" Her voice was getting closer now as an adult female woman walked over toward them from within a group of strangers to match it. "What have I told you about wondering off like that? You could get hurt!" The woman picked up the girl, who looked both guilty and excited to be caught by her mother.

"I'm sorry about that sir, she gets a little anxious when her father or I take her to these things. She's not much of an event person." The woman adjusts Len'Cha's clothing and proceeds to smile weakly at the masked individual. He remained silent, not moving an inch.

"And what business do you have with her?" He finally responses, a harsh tone discernable even from dullness of his mask's reverberator. The women found this to be amusing.

"Why I'm her mother, of course." She replies, with a slow but reliable smirk not so unsimilar to Len'Cha's. "I should be more careful. Though I can't imagine she would get in much danger with a bonified captain of the Grand Republic such as yourself. I must say, the G.R. has come up with some interesting uniform designs since I last called the Core home, but yours most certainly takes the spice cake." This confused Cello, as he was not much aware of any such individual or rank within the Grand Republic that would require a look similar to his.

"And what about my look would make you think I'm a captain?" The woman blushed as she began to bounce her young daughter in her arms.

"Actually, it was a lucky guess. My husband, before he became a big-time developer for the big real-estate conglomerates out in these parts, was a captain in the Grand Republic himself. Admittedly he was more invested in logistics and infrastructure, but before we left for a then-booming Tatoonie, the regulation for uniforms went from red to black. Besides, we don't get many off-worlders in all black ropes or silver masks such as yourself around here. What has you out in these parts, anyway? I heard there was some kind of explosion on freight ship earlier today, is this related to-"

"I'm searching for someone." He interjects in an almost a matter of fact tone. "She's a member of my platoon. I believe she crash landed somewhere on the planet, but I've yet to find her. Have you seen or heard anything?" He asks, for the first time with some inkling of interest in his otherwise monotone voice.

"You know, my husband did say he thought he saw a ship land in the outskirts of Mos Eisley earlier today while doing some scouting work for an upcoming development he's working on. He said he saw smoke and everything. That might just have been your comrade, captain." The woman smiled, seemingly making conversation for the sake of the attention at this point.

"And where is your husband now?" The man inquires, his head shifting to its side by just a bit from beneath his dark hood.

"He's actually right down the street, we don't live too far from here. I'd be happy to take you to him. If you're going to spend any time in Mos Espa, you're going to want to get to know the who's who of society here anyway. Our penthouse is just a few blocks away, and I was getting ready to leave here anyway. Would you like to join us? You can even keep your mask on." She smiles lightly and gently touches the side of his mask with a tender, though warm, embrace.

"That would be most excellent, m'lady." The woman blushes in reply.

"Oh please, you can call me Porchu. And you are, my dear?"

"You can call me …"


End file.
